


Follow the Rules

by rainywoods



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Aftercare, BDSM, Big Boss Daddy Dan, Dan and Brian have an implied relationship, Egobang - Freeform, F/M, Implied Relationship, M/M, Multi, Polygrumps, Sex Club, Sex Club AU, Suzy and Arin are married but in an open relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-08-20 00:15:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20218633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainywoods/pseuds/rainywoods
Summary: Daniel Avidan runs a popular sex club, and is regarded highly because of it. He never uses his club as a means to get any action, he just loves watching people have fun. When he decides to play the hero and help a cute stranger out of a bad situation, he soon realizes that there’s more to this whole sex club scene that he wasn’t ready for.





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not very good at writing, but I’ve been dabbling in fanfiction for a hot minute and I figured, why not share…?

There were times in which Dan wondered how he got to this point in his life. He chuckled softly to himself as he stood in his office overlooking the neon city, wearing his usual uniform of a close-fitting dark suit with a shimmering bright blue button-down underneath.

Music was his passion, his first love. When he failed and cheated on his love of music with sex, he chose the latter as his new job. He still writes and produces music under an alias in his free time, but his main job and joy in life was 6969.

He founded the sex club a few years back, and never regretted it. He hadn’t planned on being the owner of such a well-respected business. It was talked about in hushed tones in bars and regular dance clubs. It had built quite a reputation in the few years that it had been in operation.

Daniel was pulled out of the clouds by a sharp knock at his office door. Without waiting for a reply, a shorter and older looking man entered the room. He wore a similar uniform to Dan’s, except he had a shimmering golden shirt underneath the suit jacket.

“Dan,” the man stated. “It’s time for your nightly rounds.”

“No need to sound so stiff, Brian,” Dan said lazily, turning to face his assistant. He strode out of his office with Brian at his side, both men making their way silently down the hallway to their private elevator.

There were four main floors in this club. The fourth floor was entirely Dan’s space, and included his office, a kitchen and lounge, and a spare bedroom. Sometimes he and Brian used it to blow off steam, literally and figuratively, during the work week. Often times, Dan just slept there instead of his own house.

The third floor was the bar and lounge. It was the perfect place for people to eat, chat, drink, and flirt without getting their ears blasted by loud music. To the left of the room was a small stage featuring a baby grand piano and a few mic stands, used mostly by vocalists, guest piano players (usually Brian if he was bored), and twice a month they even held an open mic night. The social environment was relaxing, and was also a nice area for friends to hang out. This was a sex club, but the number one and most important rule that Dan enforced was that people were happy and comfortable. His waiters and bartenders were fairly happy working in this area, and he loved seeing them chat up customers in their skimpy uniforms.

“Hi, Daddy,” one of the waiters, a young blond man, greeted as Dan and Brian made their way out of the elevator. Dan returned the smile with a wink.

“Hi there, Teddie. How are we doing tonight?” Dan said, scanning the room with his hands behind his back. He stood out from everyone else, not just because of his stylish attire but also his confident demeanor. Patrons gaped at him from their plush booths, talking in whispers.

“Busy night, but we’ve got it under control,” the younger man announced, nodding his head toward the bar where three other people were tending to it. They all looked up and waved excitedly at him, and he regarded them with a wave of his own.

“Thank you, Teddie.” He swiftly stepped closer to the man, pressing a finger to the underside of his chin and lifting his face to meet his eyes. “Daddy is _so_ proud of you,” he purred, feeling Teddie melt into his touch.

The customers cheered. They loved seeing interactions like this; it was like they were watching a romantic movie every time. Dan and Teddie both played it up for the excitement of the viewers, but Dan noticed Teddie whimpering under his breath before replying.

“Thank you, Daddy…”

Dan gave a little bow to the crowd of people, earning another round of hoots and hollers. Brian stepped up behind him, clearing his throat, indicating that they needed to keep supervising. The blue-clad man turned on his heel and the two of them made their way out of the joint, more cheers echoing down the otherwise silent hall behind them.

Brian snorted in laughter, which caused Danny to raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“You’re such an attention whore,” Brian sneered, inserting the elevator key.

“Yeah. Well, you love it,” Danny retorted, patting Brian’s butt on his way into the lift. Brian just rolled his eyes as he followed.

Second floor was the main floor, the actual “club” part. The entrance to the whole facility was located here; large glass french doors engraved with the number 69 on each (Dan wasn’t known for being subtle.) A smaller bar sat in the middle of the area, past the check-in and coat room, surrounded by three soundproofed rooms that held a dance floor in each. The private elevator opened up to a back hallway, where there were employee bathrooms and a spacious break room.

As the two of them passed the open door to the break room, they saw three people lounging on the plush couches and chatting away. Upon noticing their bosses watching them, they all jumped to their feet. One of them stood up so quickly they spilled the small bag of chips that had been sitting on their lap.

Dan chuckled warmly at their eagerness. “You all are fine, enjoy your break. Make sure you clean that up, Sandy, we don’t want bugs.” Dan smirked, gesturing to the pile of crumbs at the person’s feet. They all smiled and thanked him, moving to grab a dustpan. Dan kept moving, Brian on his heels, until they reached the door into the main area. The two men made their way across the bar area, nodding and smiling to patrons in tight dance clothes and thick make-up. After touching base with the bartenders and DJs, they made their way back to the elevator.

“Alright, last stop Boss,” Brian said, watching the doors slide shut.

Dan cringed. “C’mon man, you don’t need to call me that…” Dan pressed two fingers to Brian’s lapel, walking them up to his neck and caressing his cheek. “Unless we’re in bed…”

Brian huffed a laugh and gently swatted Dan’s hand away. “God, you’re horny tonight… can you at least _try_ to keep it in your pants until we get back upstairs?” He tried to look scornful, but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

“I can’t help it, seeing all of these people having fun and my business doing well gets me all tingly.” Dan shivered, beaming like a kid in a candy store. Brian smiled fondly at him when Dan turned back to the elevator doors.

Finally, they reached the first floor. The floor that’s located below the entrance, and the most exclusive part of the club. Seriously, you have to fill out a fuckton of paperwork to even consider being allowed down there. It was where people got it on, did the no-pants dance, so on and so forth.

The area had many, many rooms available to rent out. It was expensive, but incredibly worth it. There were small couples-only rooms, bigger rooms for small groups, and even bigger rooms for orgy parties. Single people could meet and mingle in the main area and check into a room at the glass-enclosed office in the center.

When Dan and Brian entered the room, the crowd grew hushed. They strode confidently to the center of the room where the office was, some people moving out of the way to let them pass. Whispers and gasps followed them, and hungry, lustful gazes were fixed to them.

Dan entered the key code to the door before entering. When Brian stepped in behind him and shut it, the chatter and faint EDM music ceased entirely. Dan immediately grinned welcomingly to the three receptionists, two women and one man.

“Ben, Sarah, Ophelia.” The three turned at the sound of his voice and grinned back, standing from their positions. He shook his head and waved. “No no, no formalities. Appreciated, but not necessary.” He winked. The three flushed and giggled. Brian, unseen by Dan, rolled his eyes for the hundredth time.

Dan reached over to a panel of dimmer switches on the wall and turned one. The glass surrounding the miniature office seemed to fog up, hiding their view from the crowd. Once they were all successfully hidden, Dan let out a big sigh and plopped into a nearby chair. _“Jeeeeesus,”_ he groaned, rubbing his neck and popping his back. “This ‘big serious daddy’ act is starting to run me down.”

Brian tutted, leaning against the wall. “No one said you had to act like that…”

“Yeah, but if I don’t, nobody will take me seriously…”

“What, the proprietor of the highest regarded sex club, dance club, and lounge in the entire state of California wouldn’t be treated with respect if he showed up in sweatpants and a beanie, rolling a joint and saying ‘dude’ every third word?” Brian gave Dan a smug smile. “I don’t believe it.”

“Does he… really do that?” Ben chirped, drawing the room’s attention. His face turned a deep red and he stuttered an apology.

“Oh, absolutely.” Brian chided, grin growing wider as Dan appeared more and more flustered. “Back in our band days, sometimes he would be so high that he’d leave the house without pants on-”

“Aaaalright!!” Dan interjected, blushing furiously. The other four laughed heartily, and Ophelia gently patted him on the shoulder sympathetically.

Right as she opened her mouth to say something, a rapid beeping noise not unlike an alarm clock sounded from a small offset area. The three secretaries scrambled to the side room, and Dan shot a concerned look at Brian.

“What… what’s going on?” Dan stood and followed them, Brian in his wake. The three employees were watching a few monitors, the main few having different angles of the main room and many others pointed at the doors to the private rooms.

“Someone in one of the rooms pulled the alarm…” Sarah explained, pointing to a screen on the bottom left. She tapped a few buttons on the touchscreen keyboard, and the small screen showing the door was moved to the large one in the center. Dan leaned in, looking closely, and noticed a light flashing above the door.

“That’s one of the big rooms…” Dan observed. Sarah nodded seriously, and took a deep breath. With a few more taps on the keyboard, a large red button appeared in the middle and she pressed it.

Alarms blared everywhere, muffled greatly by their soundproofed room. From looking at the cameras, they watched as all exits slammed closed, reenforced by heavy metal doors. The previously dimly-lit main area was suddenly illuminated by floodlights, causing the crowd of people previously milling about to flinch and cover their eyes. Ben immediately took hold of a nearby microphone, switching it on and speaking clearly and authoritatively.

“Attention, patrons. This is a Level 1 Emergency Warning. Please remain calm. This is not a drill. I repeat, please remain calm. This is not a drill.”

“Security, we have a situation on F1. Alarm pulled. Level 3 room, number 314.” Dan whipped his head around to see Ophelia on a walkie-talkie. He turned to Brian, panic in his eyes. Brian merely shrugged and shook his head.

“What’s happening?!” Dan asked the room. Sarah turned to him, looking forlorn.

“Someone pulled the alarm.”

Dan huffed. “Yeah, I got that, what does it mean?!”

Sarah looked over at Ophelia, who had hate in her eyes. Ben looked over too, turning the dimmer switch to watch the security guards file in. Sarah turned back to Dan, furrowing her eyebrows.

“It means somebody… was not following the rules.”

Dan blinked at her. “We have a lot of rules, Sarah…”

“Daniel.”

Dan turned towards his co-founder, whose eyes were dark with malice. “She’s talking about… _those_ rules.”

He felt his blood turn cold, and his face blanched. The three subordinates looked on in fearful anticipation. Ben suddenly cleared his throat, deafening in the tense silence filling the room, and spoke with a crack in his voice. “So… what do we do now?”

Dan straightened up, jaw set. “Well, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to see this fucker right out of my establishment.” He turned and stormed out of the room, ignoring calls from the other four. Blood pounded in his ears as he made his way through the room, past people huddling together like penguins, looking horrified.

———

_‘Thank you for your valued interest in experiencing 6969’s most interesting features. This form quantifies the importance of the rules we set here in this establishment, as well as documents the necessary punishments dealt if these rules are not followed.’_

———

Dan approached a few security guards watching the main entrance, who nodded at him in greeting. “Has anyone come out of that room yet?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

“No, sir. We have four units stationed in that hall. They can’t get past us.”

Dan nodded, straightening his collar as Brian caught up to him. “Are you insane?!” Brian shout-whispered, icy blue eyes piercing into Dan’s very soul. “We are on high alert; this person could be really dangerous.”

“Not with my best teams on watch, they’re not.”

“Dan, I don’t think you understand how serious this is.” Brian responded, standing his ground. “In all of the years we’ve been open, no one has ever, ever, pulled the alarm. Everyone knows about it. We drill that shit into their heads the second they walk in here!”

“Get to the point, Brian.” Dan commanded, puffing his chest out and scowling down at the older man. Brian didn’t seem phased. Before Brian could reply, there was a loud crashing sound followed by a piercing shriek.

———

_‘6969 prides itself on being safe, clean, and fun, while also being sexy. That being said, we will not under any circumstances tolerate improper use of consent, or lack thereof. This includes but is not limited to:_

_
  * Groping/touching people without consent
  * Ignorance/misuse of predetermined safe word(s)
  * Engaging in sexual acts not previously discussed/consented upon with partner(s)
  * Removing condom before insertion/refusal to use a condom (condoms are provided for free at the help desk, in a variety of sizes and flavors)
_

———

Dan, without thinking, found himself running with the security team towards the sound of the crash. Brian hung back, giving up on trying to stop Dan and instead monitored the main area, giving reassurance to the guests.

“Oh, Christ…” Dan said breathily as he rounded the corner into the hallway. The scene laid before him resembled something he’d seen in a lot of cop movies; the door was completely busted, hanging off his hinges, with a few chunks of splintered wood littered nearby. Four guards were busy holding down a very skinny man with long, unkempt dark hair and stubble that was three years overdue for a shave. He was also completely naked, desperately trying to escape the guards’ clutches.

One of the guards reached into a pouch on his hip and pulled out what looked like an EpiPen. With great force, he slammed it down onto the man’s thigh. After a few moments, the guy stopped struggling and lay completely still. Dan, approaching cautiously, noticed his back rising and falling steadily.

———

_Medical professionals are always on call for emergencies, and 6969 also features an infirmary if activities get too intense. If you or anyone else is feeling threatened, do not be afraid to alert a staff member. In every 6969 brand Sex Chamber™, there is an emergency alarm that can be pulled in the case that someone is not following the rules, and is unable to be reasoned with. Patrons are to be informed of the location of the alarms in each room, and the list of emergency reasons why an alarm should be triggered. _

_If you or anyone else is the reason for an alarm be set off, the following set of circumstances will occur*.  
(*The following list is subject to change depending on the severity of the situation.) _

_
  1. Security will approach your room and ask you to exit without restraint.
  2. If you comply, security will escort you away from the public and place you in one of our holding cells. (Yes, this sex club has holding cells.)
  3. If you do not comply, security will give a verbal warning before opening the door by force.
  4. If you do not comply, security will have to escort you by force.
  5. If you fight/struggle with the security guards, they are authorized to administer anesthesia in order to incapacitate you.
  6. From that point on, you will be placed in a holding cell until you regain consciousness.
  7. Depending on the circumstances, interrogations and/or legal action may be necessary.
_

———

As Dan watched the sleeping man be carried away, he stepped over the broken door pieces (that’s going to be expensive to fix…) and into the room.

Like every Level 3 room, this one was furnished with a California King bed, a television, a minibar… the whole nine yards. Some of the other members of this group had already been led to a private area to calm down, but there was still one remaining. She was fighting tooth and nail with two security guards, going absolute batshit.

“Ma’am, please control yourself. He’s gone, he can’t hurt you anymore,” one of the guards said, speaking in a calm tone. He swore as she bit down on his hand, yanking it back and reaching for the pouch on his hip. She screamed in his face, scratching and kicking as the other guard attempted to restrain her.

“THAT’S MY HUSBAND! HOW DARE YOU, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU, I’LL-”

“Miss, please, calm down.” Dan approached cautiously. The young woman stopped shouting, seeming surprised and a bit embarrassed to see the CEO of the company standing a few feet in front of her. The guard holding her hid his sigh of relief, but kept a firm grip in case she got riled up again.

“I know this is scary. I promise, that man is gone, and will be dealt with accordingly. Now, if you please, kindly walk with the guards so that we may ask you a few questions about what happened.” Noticing her face go red with fury again, he held up a hand to stop her. “‘If you fight/struggle with the security guards, they are authorized to administer anesthesia in order to incapacitate you’. Does that sound familiar?” She nodded, biting her tongue. Soon, the two guards led the woman out of the room silently, one of them turning back to him and mouthing ‘thank you’.

Dan stood in the seemingly vacant room, taking a look around at the chaotic mess that was made. That guy must have been a real psycho, he thought, moving to leave. Before he could take another step, he heard a small noise like a whimper of pain.

He whipped his head around to look at the bed, toward the source of the sound. The sheets were all fucked up, aside from a big lump of blankets in the middle. Dan walked carefully toward it, extending his arm out slowly. Very gently, he placed his open palm on the mass; it was warm and solid, and it gasped in pain as soon as he made contact. He pulled his hand back like it had burned him.

“Hello? Are you alright?” Dan whispered. The blankets sniffed and sobbed quietly. He felt his chest tighten. “There’s no one else here. Come on out from under there.”

A long moment passed before the blankets started shifting. Dan watched as the man revealed himself from his hiding place. The man didn’t say anything but twisted a corner of the bedsheets in his shaking hands, looking down at the floor.

He was a big dude. Not fat, but thick. Strong, solid. It would be hard to knock this guy down without a struggle. And yet, the deep bruises on his chest, neck, and… well, whole body didn’t go unnoticed. Dan also took note of rope indentations on his arms and wrists, and the long hair covering his face was matted with sweat and… Dan swallowed. He hoped that dark liquid wasn’t blood.

“You’re in really bad shape, let’s get you to the infirmary,” Dan said, grinning sweetly and holding out a hand. The man lifted his head to take a look at his savior, and his jaw dropped.

Dan's chest fluttered as the man's deep brown eyes met his own. For being all beat up, this guy was really handsome. Dan quickly recovered, clearing his throat. “Hi. My name is Daniel Avidan. I own the place.”

“H… hey,” the other guy croaked. “I’m Arin.”


	2. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian interrogates Suzy, and Dan comforts Arin. When the couple reunites, the two owners head off to go take care of business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was SO much exposition in the first chapter… so prepare for more ^^; I got really wrapped up in the story. Sexy times are ON THEIR WAY, I promise!!!

Brian made his way to the interrogation room after having just touched base (and made up) with Dan. Nodding to the security guards posted in front of the door, he entered. 

In the room was a long table with a chair on either side, facing each other. One of them was occupied by a slender woman with long dark hair, each of her wrists handcuffed to the legs of the chair. Brian eyed her over, raising an eyebrow and looking at the security guard standing close by. 

“Is that really necessary?” He asked, slightly incredulous. The guard swallowed, but nodded firmly. 

“Yes, sir. She’s quite the fighter.” Brian looked over to the girl, and although she looked scared he could almost detect a hint of pride at the guard’s words. 

“Well,” Brian said, taking a seat. “I think we will fair just fine without the restraints. Please, let the poor girl have her hands back, will you?”

“B-b-but, sir…!” the guard stammered, but recoiled when Brian shot an icy glare at him. After composing himself, he straightened up and fumbled in his pockets. “Yes, s-sir.” He leaned over and cautiously unlocked each cuff, standing up and moving a few paces back in fearful anticipation. The woman, however, merely glared at him while rubbing her wrists. 

“Excellent, I think we can get started with some questions now.” He turned to address the guard. “I’d like this interview to be private. You’re dismissed.”

The guard nodded, eyeing the woman over once more before leaving the room. Brian silently pulled out a notebook and a few pens, and a pack of travel tissues. He offered them to the girl, but she hesitated. “Just in case things get a little too much,” he reassured, smiling. A small breath of a laugh escaped her before she took the tissues. 

“I should let you know, we are being observed by a team of guards right now,” Brian explained, pointing somewhere behind his head where an old-fashioned security camera was mounted to the wall above the door. “It’s only video, so no one else will hear us. If you try anything funny though, we will have to incapacitate you and try again when you regain consciousness. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir…” she said. 

“Alright. What’s your name?”

“Suzanne Berhow. I usually just go by Suzy.”

Brian scribbled the name in the notebook. “Okay, and… how old are you?”

“30.”

_ Brian scratched that in as well. “Can you tell me who you were with this evening?”_

__

Suzy took a deep breath. “Well, I was with three of my closest FWBs; Jillian, Bridget, and Seth.” The pen flew across the page and she paused, waiting for him to finish before continuing. “My husband, and his…” She paused, scowling at the table. Brian watched her, patiently waiting for her to continue. “His… boyfriend, James.”

__

“I see. Is this your first time at our establishment, Mrs. Berhow?”

__

She shook her head. “It was Arin’s first time, though.”

__

“That’s your husband, correct?”

__

She nodded. Her face started to droop and she opened the tissues preemptively. Brian ignored her and continued writing. “Can you explain what happened tonight?”

__

She nodded again, pulling a tissue out. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

__

———

__

Arin honestly didn’t expect there to be an infirmary in a sex club, but all in all he was very grateful. Especially since the medical care was free, and they would be getting their money back for the room. He laid in the bed, examining his many bandages, wondering how he got to this point. His mind was muddied, fogged with images from merely an hour ago. He put his head in his hands, his face scrunching up in anger. _ I’m such an idiot, I should have seen it coming… I should have listened to Suzy… _

__

_ Suzy. _

__

Unbeknownst to him, Dan was standing outside of the door speaking to the nurse. 

__

“Will he be okay?”

__

“Yes, but…” the nurse said with a grimace. “Well, physically he will be fine. He might suffer from a little trauma, but therapy and good company will definitely help with that.”

__

His mouth tightened into a thin line, turning to look at the door. There was a beat of silence. 

__

“May I… see him?”

__

The nurse crinkled her eyebrows in curiosity. “Well, yes, you may. I’m not sure how… stable he will be.” 

__

Dan paused again, not turning away from the door. He nodded, understanding her warning, and waited for her to leave before knocking. 

__

There was no response. He entered the room, seeing that it was blocked from view by a curtain. “Hello? Arin, was it?” No reply. He carefully peaked around the curtain, and once he saw that Arin was decent, entered. 

__

Arin didn’t even turn to look at him when he spoke. “Where is she?”

__

Dan stopped and blinked in confusion. “Wh… who, the nurse?” He pointed behind him. “I can go get her, if you need-”

__

_ “No.” _Arin’s head snapped towards him, and Dan resisted the urge to recoil against his fiery gaze. “Where. Is. Suzy.”

__

Dan held up his hands defensively. “I don’t… oh! That girl? Brian is with her right now.”

__

Arin’s face contorted with rage and panic. He moved to stand, but Dan stepped towards him. “W-wait! You shouldn’t get up, you’re hurt!”

__

“I don’t care!” Arin flung the blanket away and swung his legs off the bed. Once he stood, his weak body gave up on him and he stumbled forwards into Dan. Dan in turn grabbed his arms firmly, trying to push him back onto the bed. 

__

“Dude… stop. She’s fine, she’ll be able to see you when she’s done…” He mustered all of his strength to fight back against the wounded man. Arin may be weak, but he was still a lot bigger and stronger than Dan. 

__

“I need to see her! I need her! I need her to be here!” Arin wasn’t looking at him, too blinded by fury to acknowledge him at all. Dan gritted his teeth and pushed harder, feeling his grip slipping. 

__

“Arin, please calm down!”

__

“I can’t calm down!!” Arin shouted. “I need Suzy, please… I… I need her…” Dan felt him give up beneath his fingers, still pressing into him. “I… I’m…” 

__

Arin suddenly fell into him, nearly catching Dan off guard. As his face connected with Dan’s chest, he sobbed heavily and began crying. Loud, wracked sobs rang around the room as Dan felt Arin’s hands clutching his shirt. 

__

Dan, being as empathetic as always, felt tears burning in his own eyes as he wrapped his slender arms around the man’s back. Arin kept crying, crying like he hadn’t in years. Dan wondered how long he’s had to hide his emotions under the burly facade he gave off. Dan continued to hold Arin until he was calm enough to step back and sit on the bed. Dan pulled a chair from the corner of the room and took a seat next to him. 

__

After a moment’s silence while Arin sniffed, Dan chuckled and looked at his tear-and-snot-stained shirt. “I’m glad I changed out of my suit,” he said casually, relishing in the weak laugh Arin gave in response. 

__

———

__

“Arin and I got married back in 2013,” Suzy said, watching as Brian’s pen worked across the blank page. “We knew each other for over ten years before we actually got married. We also had fuck buddies on the side, but that didn’t deter us from being together.”

__

“Arin has been with James for almost a year now,” Suzy continued. “I… I didn’t like him from the moment I met him. He was, like, weirdly possessive over Arin. That lasted about a month before I had to put my foot down. Arin was on my side, thankfully.”

__

“Why wouldn’t he be? You’re his wife, his top priority.” Brian knew he should remain neutral but he couldn’t help himself. Suzy nodded fervently, continuing on. 

__

“That’s exactly what I said!” she exclaimed. She relaxed back into her chair with a sigh. “Arin has a tendency to follow his gut reaction before thinking it over. James is a bit older than him, so I think he might’ve been… I dunno, afraid of him in a way?” Suzy fiddled with the hem of her tank top, looking at the wall to her left with a grim expression. “Arin likes to be dominated in bed. He runs his own company, so he likes to be able to… um…” She paused, unsure of her phrasing.

__

“He likes to have a moment where he can feel small, helpless and submissive?” Brian added, knowing the feeling all too well. He resisted the urge to grin at the many memories of Dan in a similar position. Suzy nodded at his input, continuing the mindless rubbing at her shirt. 

__

“Y-yeah. And James is really good at it, from what Arin has told me.” She frowns. “He always seemed really… happy the day after a play session with him, even if he’s covered in marks and walking weird. I can… I can tell he’s in a lot of pain, and I get the impression that… he doesn’t like it as much as he thinks he does.” Suzy swallows guiltily as she spoke. She sniffs. “I don’t… I don’t like seeing him in so much pain.”

__

———

__

“You don’t have to be here, if you have more important things to do,” Arin said slowly, overcome with exhaustion at the show of such raw emotion. 

__

Dan smiled softly, placing a hand on Arin’s bed next to his leg. “I want to! I like to make sure my guests are okay, especially after an episode like that.”

__

Arin watched him for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to sue you, or anything.”

__

“Oh, thank God…” Dan exclaimed wildly, putting his free hand over his heart dramatically. Once he started laughing, Arin got the joke and laughed with him. After the laughter subsided, Dan eyed him carefully. 

__

“Besides, you’re a pretty handsome guy. I’d like to get to know you a bit better.”

__

Arin rolled his eyes. “Wow, hitting on the bedridden guy with a broken heart. Very smooth, killer.” Malice laced the edge of his words, giving Dan a cold glare. 

__

Dan gulped, feeling shame wash over him. _ Shit. _“I mean… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Arin looked away, but his face softened a bit. Taking the hint, Dan continued. “Um, I just… I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

__

Arin scoffed quietly, still not looking at Dan. “You don’t even know me. Why do you care how I feel?”

__

Dan felt a lump in his throat as he looked down. Seeing Arin like this reminded him of his past; his poverty-struck mid-twenties of living off of basically nothing but what was left over after paying rent from endless shitty dead-end jobs and… “You’re right.”

__

Arin finally turned to look at Dan, who was still staring at his feet. “What?”

__

“You’re right,” Dan said softly, and when he looked at the younger man, he had tears in his eyes. “I don’t know you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how you feel.” He sniffed, grinning shyly. “A big reason why I started this business was to create a fun place for people to just… exist outside of normalcy for a while. Get away from life, and its hardships. A safe place.” He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled weakly. “I know, not many people would think of a _ sex club _ as a safe place, but… when I was younger, often times sex _ was _ my only escape. Even music, which I loved dearly, didn’t have the same effect.”

__

Arin listened with rapt attention. It was rare to see a normally uber confident and suave CEO of a massively successful business get all emotional. 

__

“I was… really, really broke for a long time. Basically homeless. I couch-hopped for a while until I met Brian. During that time in my life, I made some… questionable decisions.”

__

Arin raised an eyebrow. “Like?”

__

Dan paused. “Prostitution.”

__

Arin was honestly more surprised that he _ didn’t _find that surprising. “Oh.”

__

“Prostitution isn’t a bad thing at all, if you go about it the right way.” Dan explained, thinking of his many friends who did sex work. “But, um… I didn’t. I was desperate, and stupid.”

__

Images from his past flashed before his eyes; dark hallways, dingy alleys, dirty bathroom stalls. People of all kinds, remembered only from a kneeling angle. Loud grunts, squeals of laughter, cries of pain. His patrons were rough, cruel, careless. Often times he would sleep behind Brian’s apartment building, too ashamed to walk in at two in the morning covered in fluids and cigarette burns. 

__

He shuddered, swallowing thickly as bile rose in his throat. “I n-never want _ anyone _to feel like that. Not ever again.” He scanned over Arin’s many bandages as fat tears rolled down his face. 

__

The bedridden man couldn’t help but feel sympathy towards Daniel. True, Dan didn’t know Arin, but the opposite was also true. He had no idea the struggles and hardships the older man used to face. He reached out, flipping his hand so that the palm was up. Dan took it with both of his own hands, still crying silently. 

__

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

__

“What are you sorry for?” Dan asked, wiping his eyes on his shirt collar. “It was my mistake, and it’s in the past anyway.”

__

“Just because it’s in the past doesn’t mean it can’t still hurt,” Arin said, hoping Dan didn’t call him out for butchering a quote from a Disney movie. 

__

The older man shrugged. “That’s true, I guess. But… enough about me and my tragic backstory,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “Can you tell me what happened?”

__

———

__

“Arin’s birthday was a week ago,” Suzy explained. “That’s why we came here; to celebrate. I had never witnessed a session between James and Arin before, so I was a little nervous.”

__

“I brought it up to Arin before we left the house, that I was worried.” She sighed. “He told me that James is safe, and I had nothing to worry about. And, when we got there…” she paused, at a loss. Brian glanced up from the pad of paper to see that she looked a bit embarrassed. He smiled sympathetically. 

__

“You obviously don’t have to go into _ all _ of the details of tonight…” Brian assured, leaning back in his chair with a grunt. “But just so you know, I’ve heard it all.”

__

Suzy smiled sheepishly, then cleared her throat. “Well… we wanted to treat Arin, because we were celebrating his birthday. Me and my friends had our fun together at first, while Arin watched. He was bound, so he couldn’t touch himself.”

__

“Where was James at that time?”

__

Her mouth grew thin. “He wasn’t in the room. He might’ve gone to the bar upstairs.”

__

Brian hummed in confirmation, jotting it down. “Then?”

__

“So once Arin was all worked up and begging us to fuck him, we… uh, did.” She finished lamely. “When James got back we tied Arin to the bed frame, and all five of us went at him.”

__

Brian nodded. _ I wouldn’t mind seeing Dan like that… _ he thought, a very slight shiver running down his spine. He wrote _ 5 vs 1 _ in his notes. “Please continue.”

__

Suzy nodded. “So after that, we had a little break where we cared for Arin and gave him water and snacks and stuff.” She shrugged. “You know, typical aftercare stuff.”

__

Brian nodded; he was familiar. 

__

“James kept getting handsy, even after we told him to be patient and wait his turn,” she said, eyebrows furrowing. “Arin didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to pick sides, I don’t think.”

__

“But maybe he was worn out from the sex?” Brian asked. Suzy shook her head. 

__

“He’s got a lot of endurance,” she praised. “He works out all the time.”

__

Brian shrugged, chuckling softly. “Fair enough.”

__

“So, once Arin said he was ready, me and the other three sat back while James got ready.” She swallowed. “He tied him up and stuff, but then… he tied us up, too.”

__

Brian’s pen stopped moving. A chill ran through him at the thought. “…what? Why?”

__

Suzy shook her head again, a lot less proud. “I don’t know. He just left us in chairs in the corner. Our hands and feet were bound, and we couldn’t move at all.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I didn’t… I didn’t want him to tie me up. But I didn’t say anything about it. I just… went with it.”

__

Brian placed his pen down, focusing all of his attention on the woman. “What happened next?”

__

“He… he…” Suzy’s eyes began to well up with tears. “He… hurt him.”

__

———

__

“I’m the sub in our relationship.” Arin said shamelessly. He paused, thinking it over. “Both of my relationships.”

__

Dan had a hard time imagining that, being that Arin was such a huge, burly dude. The guy who was taken away, presumably James the boyfriend, looked pretty scrawny even to Dan. That and the wild girl who was giving the guards a hard time seemed rather petite in stature. Dan mentally shook his head; no use stereotyping here. He’s been with a fair share of butches and bears who liked being the bottom. He nodded, allowing Arin to continue. 

__

“They, um, wanted to treat me because my birthday was last week, and Suzy’s been coming here for a while. They wanted to show me a good time.” Arin explained. “I wanted James to come with us. We hadn’t played in a while, and I thought it would be fun to have her watch or maybe join us. But…” He swallowed, looking down at his lap. “When he gets in a dominant headspace, he can get kind of… rough.” 

__

Dan glanced over Arin’s injuries solemnly, a flicker of anger sparking deep within him.

__

“He also… has an alcohol problem,” Arin mumbled, looking elsewhere but the man listening intently. “When he gets drunk, he gets unreasonable. Won’t take no for an answer.”

__

The older man could feel the flicker grow quickly inside of him, causing his ears to burn and his hands to shake. “Go on.”

__

“Well, while Suzy and her friends were with me, he went off to the bar. I… I knew what was going to happen. I asked him to stay, maybe tease me while the other four had their fun, but he refused. He told me… he told me everything would be fine, that I had nothing to worry about…” Arin’s throat started to sound constricted as tears filled his eyes. “He… he tied me up way too tightly, I couldn’t move… but, th-that didn’t bother me as much as… as him tying the others up, too…”

__

_ “What?!” _Dan snapped, making Arin jump. Dan’s eyes were so bright and full of hate that Arin had a momentary feeling of panic, wincing away from him. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” Dan apologized. “Please continue.”

__

Arin was still avoiding his eyes as he opened his mouth to talk again. “He smelled like booze. He hit me, a lot. It felt nice at first, but then he just didn’t stop.” Tears were flowing freely now, dampening his beard. “Whenever I said no, he would just smack me and keep going. I even… I even safe-worded.” Arin caught Dan’s eyes as the older man clenched his jaw tightly. He sniffed before continuing, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. “It’s mostly a blur after that. I remember hearing someone else yelling. I remember him growling insults into my ear… said “this is a waste of time coming here” and “you’d better be grateful for this” and “I have better things to do than listen to you whine.”

__

Dan was really struggling now. He was trying so, so hard to keep his composure, but Arin’s story was only fueling the fire. One more word, and Dan might just explode. 

__

“He held my throat as he fucked me.” Arin managed, ignoring the falling tears as they pooled on his blanket. “He just… went in dry. No preparation, nothing. He didn’t use lube… didn’t even use a condom…” he sobbed. Dan thought his own teeth might shatter with how hard he was clenching them. Arin didn’t notice, still crying. “It hurt… it hurt so much…”

__

Dan reached out to squeeze his hand, staring the younger man dead in the face. There were no words to describe how much hate Dan felt towards this stranger, this monster who _ dared _hurt another soul. Especially in such a vulnerable state; Arin must have still been deep in a sub headspace when this all happened. Without proper aftercare, one could experience some serious subdrop. He had only felt it once before, and he hoped to never feel it again. 

__

As he watched this broken man before him, trembling as he clung to Dan’s hand for dear life, only one coherent thought rang true in his mind. 

__

_ I’m going to make sure that fucker rots in jail, if I don’t kill him first. _

__

_———_

__

“Thank you, Suzy. That’s all I need to know.” Brian somberly packed up his belongings as the girl stared off, looking distant and exhausted. He stood with a sad sigh, walking to the other side of the table to offer her a hand. “I’m going to take you to see your husband. He should still be in the infirmary.” She silently took his hand and stood on trembling knees. “Take as much time as you need with him. When you are ready, please tell the nurse and she will call a car to take you home.” He observed her walking rather unevenly, accidentally bumping into the table and then into him. “I don’t think either of you are okay enough to drive.”

__

She blinked, swallowed, then looked up at him. “What’s going to happen to James?”

__

Brian looked at her with a very serious expression. “Don’t worry about it.” He smiled almost menacingly. “We’ll take care of him.”

__

The two made their way to the infirmary in silence, broken only by their footsteps. Once Brian reached the door and knocked, Suzy seemed to snap out of her trance once a noise was heard from the other side. Like someone crying. 

__

“Arin!” She cried out, flinging the door and curtain away in rapid succession. There sat a heavily bandaged man, crying as Dan held his hand. Suzy ignored him as she ran at Arin, grabbing his hand and placing it on her face. “Baby! Baby, shh. It’s okay, it’s alright, I’m here.”

__

Arin continued to cry, but held his arms out helplessly. She sat on the edge of his bed to give him an awkward hug, petting his hair and whispering into his ear. While the couple had their reunion, Brian and Dan made eye contact. They nodded, seemingly understanding each other without words. 

__

“Arin, thank you. I’ll be going now. I have some… things to deal with.” Dan said in a serious tone, standing up from his chair. Arin lifted himself from Suzy’s shoulder, staring at him with wide, red eyes. 

__

“W… wait! Um…” Arin flushed a bit, suddenly looking embarrassed. “C-can I see you again?”

__

Dan smiled, his stomach doing a small flip at Arin’s bashfulness. “Of course.” He looked around for a moment, before holding a hand out to Brian. The older man sighed through his nose, pulling out the notebook and pen from earlier. Dan wrote something on the last page, tore the slip away, and handed the scrap to Arin. “If you ever want to see me, tell the secretaries on the first floor this password. They’ll know what you mean.” He finished with a wink. 

__

And on that cryptic last word, the two men left the couple to themselves. Before they could experience another silent trek as they made their way to the holding cell area, Brian cleared his throat. “Dan?”

__

“Mm,” the taller man hummed in acknowledgement, continuing to walk. Brian sighed. 

__

“You heard everything?”

__

Dan nodded stiffly. “Everything that Arin was willing to tell me.” He felt that fire from before flare up again, and he snarled. “When I get my hands on this James guy…”

__

“Dan,” Brian warned. “You and I may be in agreement when it comes to the level of absolute scum this guy is…”

__

“Top tier, I’d say. Real next-level, class A douchebag.”

__

“…_ but, _you also tend to act without thinking a lot of the time.” Dan was walking with such purpose that Brian had to jog a bit to catch up. “I just would rather we didn’t get into any legal trouble.”

__

Dan didn’t reply, but he slowed his walk down a bit. Brian, relieved, continued at his side. 

__

“No, you’re right. I don’t want this place to crumble because of me,” Dan sighed, running a hand down his face. “If I go after him, hold me back, alright?” He side-eyed his partner with a small smirk. Brian chuckled. 

__

“Of course.”

__


End file.
